This & That

Grandpa & the SGB

These two are just best buds. 
 
Grandpa will haul Edward around the place, taking him down to see the horses in the pasture, out to see the dogs, across the street to see the baby cows (which my grandbaby calls "horsies") and over to see the big leaves on the hostas. 

So much to see and do and Grandpa will take him to see it all.

Conference Finals & Waffle Brownie Q&A

The Q & A is for DDIL#2 and my friend, Janelle, who asked some questions in the comment section of that post.  E, you've seen those waffle irons up close and personal.  I usually put a Tablespoon in each compartment, so I'm cooking 4 at a time.  The waffle irons I have right now are the Belgian variety, which, for lack of a better term are the "deep dish" variety.  The little squares are deeper and bigger than a regular iron.  The better to hold more syrup, I imagine. :) 

Janelle, the frosting we used was just a thinned down buttercream frosting with peppermint extract.  I think it was 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and 2-4 Tablespoons milk, depending on how thin you want it.  The Princess was making the frosting and put to much milk in, so ours ended up more like a glaze.

On to other subjects:

My Eldest Son is a huge basketball fan.  He really enjoys watching the games and keeps close track of who is winning and such.  When he was in high school, he spent a fair amount of time bouncing a basket ball in the driveway and what began as a little outside time during their last visit, evolved into a pick-up game.  First DD decided to take him on.

She  was so funny to watch as she tried everything but jumping on his back to take the ball.  Then she tried a shot or two of her own.  All arms and legs...lol.

 

By this time, Preemie Boy decided to team up with the Princess against Eldest Son.  But in the end, it was just a free-for-all with everyone chasing and shooting and trying not to step on the SGB, who would occasionally toddle through the game saying, "Ball.....ball."

 

Whoever had it would obligingly hand it over so he could roll it around and then laugh hilariously at his prowess.  Then he would lose interest and wander off and the game would resume again.

Gravity Defying Hair

It has finally happened.  The Princess has discovered the gravity-defying hair style.  She walked into breakfast one morning this week, after having slept with her hair like this. 

 Totally cracked me up.  And she looked at me and rolled her eyes and said, "Well, Mooooom, this way my hair didn't get all messed up."  Uh-huh.
After breakfast, she and her hair helped plant the flower pots a little, but mostly, she spent time with the little dude. 

There is something about a little one that deflects the teenage attitude and just makes everyone smile.  He parked himself on this step in the backyard with her.  It sent me running for my camera.  I was worried that he wouldn't sit long enough for me to fetch it, because he usually doesn't these days, but I was able to get these few shots in less than optimal light.  And she was totally OK with me taking all these pictures.  Yep, there's something about having a little one around.

Waffle Brownies

I have had a couple of people ask about the waffle brownies College Boy chose for his birthday.  Jen, I do have a specific recipe for them which I will include here.  The hardest part of making them is gauging the actual time in the waffle iron.  I usually set the temperature for "baking" them a little lower than actual waffles and cook them about 2 minutes.  If you decide to make them, I'd suggest making a test brownie so you can judge the baking time.  This is what I use:

My family gave me these waffle irons for Christmas a couple years ago.  They can really crank out the waffles.  I can always stay ahead of hungry boys when we have waffle breakfasts. :)

Waffle Brownies
Makes 2-4 dozen, depending on if you use a regular iron or a Belgian iron
Melt 1 cube of butter. 
To that add:
3-4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Then add:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix well.  Drop by rounded tablespoons (for a Belgian iron, teaspoons for a regular one) onto a hot waffle iron.  You can cook 3-4 at a time.  Cook 1-2 minutes.  I usually frost mine with a peppermint frosting.  Top with ice cream, if desired.  Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container.

This qualifies as Mom Food because most moms will go to the extra work to give their kids what they want for their birthday "cake."

Home Grown

With the garden in, we all start looking forward to the yummy stuff that will be growing.  I optimistically bought a package of pea seeds, but my DH refused to plant them, saying it was too late.  I'm not sure how to get my family in gear to get things in earlier so I can plant them, but there you go. 

Here's a run down of what we have planted this year:
3 varieties of cucumbers (we're quite low on pickles)
2 varieties of summer squash
4 varieties of tomatoes
3 varieties of hot peppers

A whole row of green beans, and believe me my kids are already moaning about picking and snapping them
Yellow onions
Beets
Parsnips--anyone grow these any more.  My DD calls them "white carrots."  They are delicious in stew and I like them breaded and browned as well.  My mom used to make them that way for my dad but, ironically, she doesn't like them.

Carrots
Butternut squash
Jack-o-lantern pumpkins (and now if we can just keep the squash beetles under control...)
Cantaloupe--we had one year in all our years of gardening when the cantaloupe were awesome, delicious and sweet.  Every years before or since they have tasted like moss....and yet DH persists.
Watermelon--we have yet to be really successful with this....it's sort of like the cantaloupe.  DH hoping against hope. 

Here are random flower pot shots as well.  My pots tend to look best at this stage of the game.  My Little Sis has a real knack for flower pots.  Hers always look gorgeous.  Mine tend to get a little spindly looking as the summer wears on. 

Birthday Shots

These are from College Boy's birthday.  The only person I can count on wanting the same cake for his birthday is my DH.  Everyone else has to ponder for days what the candles will go on. 

This year, College Boy decided that he was going to go with Waffle Brownies.  I had never made them in a Belgian waffle iron and College Boy had taken my old, wedding-gift regular waffle iron to school with him.  To my knowledge, he has never used it at school, but he had to have it.  They worked out pretty well and we put a little mint frosting on them.

I decided that a good way to finish them off would be with some homemade ice cream.  DH is always willing to freeze ice cream if I'll make the batter. 

Generally, I'm OK with making the batter a few times a year, but it's a bit of a chore to cook and stir it until it thickens and then cool it overnight.  Takes a little planning.  Tasty stuff, though.....if you like homemade ice cream. :)

Weekend Plans

DH is stranded at home this weekend and can only go a short distance from home, not out into the woods as he'd like.  Consequently, activities will be a little closer to home.  When he's thus tethered, it's the only time I can get him to do those annoying necessary things like help get the garden in.  That's on tap for this weekend.  These plants are going in the ground. 

At least they'd better.  I'll give you a progress report on that as time goes on.  We will have Eldest Son, DDIL, and the SGB here as well as a surprise stop in by my FIL, BIL and nephew to do some horse shuffling.  I imagine they'll go out to the reservoir and fish a time or two since there is cell reception there.  In any case hopefully the necessary stuff will be accomplished along with the diversionary stuff.

Another Birthday

It's College Boy's birthday today.  He's 23....and he's home, which is an extra bonus. 

This boy decided to try to make his initial appearance during my DH's grad school commencement exercises.  It would have been interesting, but fortunately he held off his entrance until later in the day. 

He was born with a puffy dandelion head of red hair.  He was also angry....had colic.  DH and I went to a meeting one night and his grandma tended him for a couple of hours.  When we got home she said, "Don't ask me to do this again until he's happier."

Fortunately, he's a little happier now.  He's spending a big share of his time studying hard for a grad school entrance test.  My favorite recent shot of him....playing with the SGB and trying to crawl through a toy to chase him.  Love you, Sweetie!

My New Busy Work

Well, now that I have everything pretty much clean for Eldest Son and his family, my FIL and my BIL & nephew who are all coming this weekend, I can show you what I've been working on scrap-wise for this week.  I bought one of those CK KOTM school kits last year and decided to break it open.  I have been into old photos, the school box where I have kept papers and treasures and have searched out all the school portraits.  What began as sort of an organization project, has evolved into a trip down memory lane.

I have watched my DD grow up right before my eyes and it makes me a little nostalgic for the days when I knew everything and was always right.....in total opposition to present day experience. I've made it throught 2nd grade so I'm about half way there and once I get things to 8th grade, keeping this project up won't be that hard.  Part of the problem was that I had to go searching in the "pre-digital" photo cold storage.
 
I'm hoping that someday in the future, when she looks at it, even though she didn't have the Hair Mom or the Clothes Mom that she'll decide that having the Scrapbook Mom is maybe a better deal.

I Got Nothin'

Nope, no amazing insight here today.  Just scrubbing things in anticipation of people coming for the weekend.